The Librarian
by emmzays
Summary: SORRY*** I am so terribly sorry but I won't be able to upload much over the summer, I am turning my computer back into the school, but I should be updating whenever I can! Keep reading, and I'm so sorry! Summary: The new librarian in town, Belle, has men of all ages all over her. What happens when she takes an interest in Mr. Gold? How does the rest of the town view her choice?
1. Chapter 1 - The Librarian

Belle grasped the metallic key between her thumbs, and made her way to the old building. Abandoned for 28 years, the library needed some work. Belle was happy to do that. She loved books, more than anything in the world. No other job other than a librarian would suit her.

When she reached the building, she noticed that the boards that had been blocking the windows had been removed. The sign was no longer hanging on one side, and there was a banner hanging over the double doors, which read "Storybrooke Library: Now Open!" She smiled, happy to see that someone other than her cared enough to make the library look presentable.

Belle unlocked the library and cautiously opened the door. This building was foreign to her, as she had only referred to it as the 'building which holds the clock tower'. But once she stepped inside, she realized it was much more than that.

Walls upon walls of books engulfed her vision—never in her life had she seen so many books! _So many to read, too little time_, she thought. She smiled at the thought of her new adventure, and set out to opening the library for customers.

After an hour or so of dusting and reassembling shelves, the library was ready to be opened. Belle flipped the closed sign to 'open', grabbed a copy of _Hansel and Gretel_, and sat down at the desk.

Shortly after Belle had gotten to Chapter 4, she heard a chiming of bells; her first customer! She folded the page of the book, sat up straight, and waited for the fellow book-lover.

"Hi, this is the library, right?" A teenager with tussled hair and a large sweatshirt stumbled into the main lobby.

Belle cleared her throat. "Yes, it is. Welcome to Storybrooke's official library! I'm Belle." Belle smiled. Never did she think she would be so excited to see a teenage boy interested in reading.

"Nicholas." The boy mumbled, and wandered over to a cluster of shelves.

Belle nodded, and returned to the desk. She pulled her hair up into a clip, and let the rest of her auburn hair fall behind her shoulders.

After half an hour of searching, Nicholas slapped a book down in front of Belle. _The Outsider._ "The Outsider. Great choice, classic book." Belle said, still reading her book, only quickly glancing at Nicholas.

"Yea. I know. I've read it. I just couldn't find anything else." Nicholas sighed. Belle looked up at him, and saw a pleading look in his eyes. _He wants me to help him?_ She looked at him, and smiled.

"Come on, I think I know just the right thing for you." She stood up and wandered over to a section with a high wall. Belle pointed to the top shelve, at least 7 feet out of her reach. "There." She rolled the ladder over to where she was, and began to climb. Once at the top, she pulled out a copy of _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_.

"I think you'll like this one. It's one of my favor—" As Belle was climbing down, she missed her footing, and fell off the ladder. A scream escaped her mouth, but was quickly muffled when she landed in the arms of Nicholas.

When Nicholas saw Belle slip off the ladder, he immediately moved under her to catch her. His dad was a fireman, so he had experience. It was no big deal. But when Belle landed in his arms, it suddenly was a big deal. It became very awkward for Nicholas. Belle's slender waist in his arm, her arms wrapped around his neck, grasping at his back; all of this made him very uncomfortable. Yet there was something about it, something…he liked it. He liked the thought of the beautiful librarian holding onto him. And while all of this was going on, he continued to hold Belle. For longer than he should have.

Belle stared up at Nicholas, and cleared her throat. Nicholas seemed to snap out of a daze, and set her down in front of him. He smiled, and continued to look at her. Belle dusted her skirt off, and cleared her throat once again.

"Um…thank you…Nicholas." She looked up at him, getting his attention once again.

"Oh, yep, you're um, you're welcome." He stuttered. He then proceeded to the front desk, with Belle following. Nicholas grabbed the book, and started to head out.

"I'll see you soon, ok Belle?" He looked back as Belle sat down. She was so graceful and delicate, the way she moved.

"Mmm, yes, I will see you around Nicholas." Belle looked up, and caught the back of Nicholas as he ran out. _Teenagers, _she thought. She chuckled to herself, and then went back to reading.

_First chapter, something I thought of on instagram. Don't worry, it gets better, Rumple WILL come into the picture :) _


	2. Chapter 2 - Homework Help

For the rest of that week, Nicholas came to the library precisely at 3:15, and stayed until 5:15. He would spend some time looking for a book to read, and then try and make conversation with Belle. He would generally ask her about the current book he was reading.

Nicholas realized he had a problem. He was falling for Belle. The librarian. The librarian that was 15 years older than him. He thought to himself, _age is just a number, right?_

Every time he went to the library, he would try and advance things with Belle. One day he sat inches away from her, elbows touching. Another day he helped her reach a book on the top shelf. But he could only hope she thought the same about him as he did her.

Belle, on the other hand, had noticed Nicholas' actions, although she was not sure what her thoughts were. She had no idea if he was hitting on her or not. He was always staring at her, but sometimes he would talk about all the girls at school. Oh, then there's that. He was only a senior in high school. And it's not like she had feelings for him. At least she didn't think so.

One morning, Belle decided to go to the library earlier than usual. She arrived without really getting ready for the day, just so she could be surrounded by the thing she loves most. Books.

She had realized that she forgot to put her makeup on, and rushed to the bathroom. She had never really cared about her appearances, but for some reason they seemed to matter a lot to her. As she was freshening up, she heard the jingle of the bells at the front of the library. _Probably just an old lady looking for something to do. _Belle put on her best smile, and walked out to greet the customer.

"Hi, welcome to the Storybrooke—Nicholas? What are you doing here so early?" Nicholas was standing awkwardly in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He smiled shyly.

"I don't have school today. I decided I wanted to come to the library to work on a project. You don't mind, do you?" He walked in a bit more.

Belle tucked her hair behind her ears. "I, uh, no, I don't mind. The library is open to anyone. Stay as long as you like, Nicholas." She nodded to a desk, where he set his backpack down.

Throughout that morning, it was mainly quiet. Nicholas would do his homework, and Belle continued to read. A typical day for her.

"Ugh."

"Hmm."

"Ahh!" Belle looked up. Nicholas had his head in his hands, his pencil set down. He pushed his dark hair back.

"You ok Nicholas?" Belle stood up and walked over to Nicholas.

He shook his head. "I am just extremely bad at writing essays. I can never get the wording right." Nicholas sighed and let out a grunt.

Belle placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe I can help. What is it on?"

Nicholas motioned to the book next to him, _To Kill a Mockingbird._ "That. How am I supposed to know if Boo Radley was a monster or not?" He hunched over in his chair and closed his eyes.

Belle pulled up a chair next to him. "I love this book, especially Mr. Boo. Let me help you."

For the next hour, Belle explained to Nicholas how Boo Radley was in fact, not a monster. He was just misunderstood. People viewed him as a monster because he was incapable of showing love. He hid behind a mask of no emotion. People only thought he was a monster, a beast, because of the horrible stories they had heard. By the top of the hour, Nicholas had a full 1000 word essay finished.

"Wow. Thanks…Belle." Nicholas gazed up at Belle. She was not looking at him, but rather down. He wanted to get her attention. He had tried so hard for the last week. He glanced at her hand, resting on the table, closer to him than her. _Does she want me to hold her hand?_ Nicholas wondered. Without thinking, he reached his hand towards hers, and put his on top of Belle's. Belle glanced up at him, her eyes widening, and then relaxed. Nicholas then intertwined his fingers with hers. Belle blushed a bright pink, and then half-smiled.

Nicholas just stared into her big blue eyes, getting lost. He did not hear the ringing of the front door chimes and did not see the figure walk in.

Belle did. She quickly removed her hand from Nicholas' and abruptly stood up. "Hi, welcome to the Storybrooke library. I'm Belle, the owner." She smiled at the tall, intimidating man.

He hobbled forward on his cane, which seemed like it was just a symbol of support, like he could ditch it at any time, and stood only a few feet apart from Belle.

"Thank you. I'm Mr. Gold. Rumplestiltskin Gold, actually."


	3. Chapter 3 - Mr Gold

**Disclaimer: So I guess I'm supposed to do a disclaimer thingy...ok well the books that are mentioned here are NOT mine, although they are so well written I sure wish they were. And sadly, I don't own any of the Once Upon A Time characters. At least not yet ;)**

"Thank you. I'm Mr. Gold. Rumplestiltskin Gold, actually."

Belle cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "_You're_ Mr. Gold?"

Mr. Gold cleared his throat. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

Belle shuffled her feet, realizing how awkward she had just made the situation. "I, uh, no. There isn't a problem. I just expected you to be…different…" What she expected was a grumpy old man who didn't care about his appearances, didn't care about much of anything. She thought he would be a lot uglier, and a lot more aged. But what she really saw was something much different. She saw a man who held himself up. He actually seemed to care about how he looked, as his tie matched the color of the handkerchief in his front pocket. He was much more approachable than she had pictured.

Mr. Gold leaned on his cane. "Different, hmm? Did you really think I was some grumpy old landlord? Because I'm afraid that's not really who I am, dearie." He winked at Belle.

At this point, Nicholas was becoming extremely uncomfortable. He started to reach for his things.

"Leaving, Nicholas?" Belle turned to face him. Nicholas blushed, and dropped a couple of his books.

"Yea. I gotta get back home, my mom might wonder where I am. Nice talking to you." He rushed out, but stopped when he got to the door. "Oh yea. See ya round old man." Nicholas mumbled. With that, he rounded the corner and headed for home.

Mr. Gold chuckled at Nicholas' last remark. "Me? Old? He said that as if I was 400. Ha!" He laughed again, and pulled up a chair over to where Belle was sitting down.

When Belle didn't say anything to his rather clever comment, he continued. "So who is that boy, anyways? Your boyfriend?" He nudged her knee with his.

Belle blushed. "Heavens no! Just a boy, like you said. Nicholas. I help him with his school work." She looked up at Mr. Gold to see what his reaction would be.

Mr. Gold had a subdued look on his face, but then rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oh come on. I saw you two holding hands."

"Wha—? Oh! No, he grabbed mine. I think he may have a thing for me. But no, I am definitely not interested in a teenager." She smiled. "How old do you think I am? 15?"

Mr. Gold forced a laugh. He did not want Belle to be interested in Nicholas. Not at all. It would be…a terrible disaster. And not just for him. For Belle, too. Getting together with an inexperienced teenager? He almost felt sorry for her. But it was more than that. It was more about what he wanted. And what he really wanted, desperately, was for Belle to be interested in him. He had seen her in town for a while. He had watched her acquaint herself with the town, but not in a stalkerish way….more like a guardian angel way. Whenever anything didn't seem to go how she would want it, he would be there to fix it. In the shadows, of course. Surely she would be weirded out to know that a 50 year old man had been following her around.

Once again it was silence in the library. Mr. Gold's mouth twisted into a frown. "Mr. Gold, what is it?" A look of concern formed on Belle's face.

Mr. Gold shook his head. "Nothing dear. I just remembered that I am supposed to be meeting someone right now." Mr. Gold stood up and started to walk away.

"Wait! Mr. Gold." Belle grabbed Mr. Gold's hand. This shocked Mr. Gold a bit. He turned around and raised his eyebrows.

"Are you going to be back tomorrow?" Her eyes were practically begging him to return, but he couldn't make it that easy for her.

"I'll see what I can do." Mr. Gold said cockily and then took his hand away from hers. As much as it hurt him, he couldn't show he was interested in her. Not yet, at least. He still wasn't sure if she was into Nicholas, and he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. Even though it was actually the right idea. Very right.

Mr. Gold walked away slowly, not wanting to leave, although he knew he'd be back. Tomorrow, definitely. He would see her beautiful face again. And again, the next day, too. He would win her over. _Screw Nicholas, I'm Rumplestiltskin_, he thought to himself, and closed the door behind him.

Belle desperately wanted to call Mr. Gold back. But how desperate would she seem then? She couldn't do that. _I barely even know the guy, _she thought. She sat down and opened her book, but she could hardly focus on what she was reading. That rarely happened.

Mr. Gold was on her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about him. And it wasn't just that she liked him, which she did. It was the way he presented himself. He acted so mysterious, so, hidden, yet he was easy for Belle to read. She could see right through his mask. She _knew_ that he wanted to stay. And she knew that he would be back tomorrow.

She smiled at herself and continued to read.

_Thank you all for the feedback! I really appreciate it. So some of you were wondering who Nicholas is in the show, and he is Hansel from the episode True North. I thought I would make him older, and in case you didn't notice, he wanted to check out Hansel and Gretel. So what do you think? Will Belle and Mr. Gold get together? Also for those of you wondering, I will enter some magic into the mix soon, but not yet :) Thanks for reading, and please favorite and follow! _


	4. Chapter 4 - Promise?

**Hey guys thank you for the reviews! I am glad you are enjoying it**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you like reading it. I tried writing in the present tense instead, and I think I like that better. I also decided to write from the perspective of Mr. Gold this time, just so you could see what's going on in his mind. :)**

* * *

Mr. Gold couldn't wait to get back to Belle. Yesterday seems like years ago. His eyes were aching to see her slim figure resting in the chair, head resting on her delicate hand. He wonders what she'll wear today. Will she wear a black skirt or a blue one? Or maybe a completely different color? Red heels or black? Lipstick or not? _Whatever she wears, I'll like it,_ he thinks.

Work at the shop seems to take much longer than normal. He thinks about closing early, just to see Belle, but he actually has a store to run and money to earn.

By 6 o'clock he can't take it anymore. He has to see Belle. Even if it's just for a brief moment. He flips the sign to 'closed' and heads out.

Except while Belle is on his mind he forgets that other people walk on the street too, and bumps into someone.

Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke.

"Mr. Gold. Leaving so soon?"

"Yes, it's been a long day, Madam Mayor." He tries to work his way around Regina. She blocks his path.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" She does not budge.

"You have no right to my business, Ms. Mills. Thank you, but I really should be on my way—"

"I have every right. I'm the _mayor_. Where are you going?" It's clear Regina won't let Mr. Gold go until he gives an answer.

"The library." Says Mr. Gold matter-of-factly, with no emotion whatsoever.

"See? Wasn't so hard." Regina smirks. "Don't get yourself into anything you don't want to be in, Mr. Gold. That would _not_ be good." She walks in the opposite direction of him, her heels clicking away on the sidewalk.

Mr. Gold turns away from her and follows the sidewalk towards the library.

For some reason he starts to get nervous. It's not like they're on a date.

No. He is just…going to the library.

To meet Belle.

The woman he is very attracted to.

No big deal.

By now he can see the clock tower in front of him, which means the library is only down the road. So close, yet so far. He hobbles forward until he is directly across the street.

Never in his whole life has Mr. Gold been this nervous. Not with Milah. Not with Cora. Only Belle. He takes a deep breath and walks across the street.

The first thing he sees when he opens the door is Belle. She stands out in the darkness of the library with her bright yellow blouse. Her hair curls neatly onto her bare shoulders, framing her face nicely. But that's all he can see because she's sitting behind her desk.

She must have heard him walk in, because she looks up.

And smiles.

"Mr. Gold. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come." She stands up and walks to the front of the desk, resting her backside on the desk top. Now Gold can see her whole outfit.

She wears a formfitting plaid skirt, stopping mid-thigh. Although he wishes the skirt would rise higher, he is grateful her defined legs are exposed.

At the sight of her, Mr. Gold forgets for a moment that she had said something to him. _Think of something witty, quick._

"I never break my promises, dearie." He chuckles at his clever response.

Belle bites her lip and tries to cover up a grin. Gold's not sure if she's trying to be seductive, but she definitely is.

"Good then, I'll remember that."

Nobody says anything for a brief moment.

"You came back for a reason, right?" Belle says.

"I, uh, yes."

"And what was that?"

_Oh gods no please don't tell me she knows; please don't tell me she knows I like her. _

"To, uh…read books. Ah yes. Read."

Belle looks at him for a second, purses her lips together, and then talks. "I think I have the perfect book for you." She disappears through a maze of shelves and Mr. Gold follows.

Mr. Gold is only able to follow Belle by her intermittent giggles and the click of her heels. He smiles to himself. How can this woman be so cute?

Once the sound of her heels stops, Mr. Gold slows down. _Finally._ He rounds the corner and gasps. Even though he owns the library, he had no idea there was a secret cove amidst the bookshelves. A secret, secluded inlet.

All four walls are covered in books, towering high above him, although he doesn't find them very intimidating. More…relaxing. No wonder Belle likes the library so much.

Belle is seated on a love seat behind a coffee table. She pats the seat next to her, and giggles.

Mr. Gold draws in a breath, and makes his way to the sofa.

Where he will be sitting right next to Belle.

Legs inches apart.

He sits down and rests his cane against the table. "Miss French how come I had no idea about this?"

Belle giggles, once again. _God, can she get any more adorable?_ "I just found it yesterday. Nice, huh? I fell asleep here last night."

_Aw, how cute._ "It's…wonderful." Belle stands up and makes her way to a shelf. She runs her fingers over the spines of the books.

"Ah-ha!" She tugs a blue book out of its place, and sits down next to Mr. Gold.

Closer.

Belle starts going on about the book, _Once Upon A Time_, but Mr. Gold gets lost in her eyes. He can't even focus.

"So?"

Mr. Gold blinks. "What?"

Belle laughs and puts her hand on his shoulder. "I said, 'I have to go to lunch with Ruby. But I would love to continue this later. Want to come back tomorrow?"

Gold tries to keep his mouth in a straight line, but fails when he can't contain his happiness. He smiles a genuine smile. "I would love to."

Belle nods her head and stands up. Unfortunately, Mr. Gold does not have that much ease. He struggles a bit on his cane.

"Here" Belle holds out here hand and smiles a warm smile.

Mr. Gold can't refuse her hand, even if it means looking weak. He grunts as he stands up, looking older than he really is.

He lets go of Belle's hand. He hadn't realized how tightly he was gripping it.

"So, _promise_ you'll come back? I mean, it gets a little lonely here and I really enjoyed the company today so—"

"Yes, I promise." The two grin at each other.

The two walk out together in silence, but it's a nice silence. Not awkward.

Belle turns towards Granny's and walks down the street. She quickly turns around and waves to Mr. Gold, giggling. "Seeya!"

Mr. Gold smiles at her and mumbles to himself. "Yes, see you tomorrow, Miss French."

He hobbles on down a different direction.

He is not nervous anymore.

He is more happy than ever.

* * *

_How do you think their first 'date' went? Also, sadly, I won't be able to update much this week because I have finals and just school in general, but keep reading! _


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